Virgil van Dijk has given a frank assessment of Liverpool’s 4-3 collapse away to Man United in the FA Cup, saying “we have only got ourselves to blame.”
Liverpool had overturned an early setback to lead 2-1 going into half-time at Old Trafford, and looked to be dominating the second half.
But despite bullying Man United for an extended period, they were far too relaxed when it came to stretching their goal tally, with Antony instead scoring to send the tie into extra time.
Despite a Harvey Elliott strike making it 3-2, the Reds went on to concede twice more as Marcus Rashford and Amad Diallo secured victory for the hosts.
It was an embarrassing defeat for Liverpool given the manner of their performance, and Van Dijk accepted that as he took to Instagram afterwards.
“Only got ourselves to blame, especially after how good we have been so far this season!” the Dutchman wrote.
“Time for internationals then we’re back to give it everything we have.”
Alexis Mac Allister, who scored the initial equaliser, was another player to address the situation with supporters.
The midfielder wrote: “Disappointing not to get the result we wanted but we’ll learn from it and move forward with our heads held high.
“Thanks to the fans for their unwavering support as always.”
It is no surprise that so few players have opted for a post-match verdict on social media at this stage, as the result will undoubtedly sting.
But Van Dijk hit the nail on the head with his assessment, with it a rare occasion that Liverpool seemed to underestimate their opponents with a display that was far too casual.
Whether it was a case of fatigue, after such a long and relentless run of fixtures, is unclear, but there were clear opportunities for the Reds to put the tie to bed in the second half.
That there were fewer than their performance deserved at its best, however, shows the fault lies at the feet of the players this time.
